1779- fize *. On the other hand, i f we give credit to the original
)&ober. 7 °
-v——> pofition o f this land, fixed by T e x ie r a f i it lay to the Weft
b y S o u th ; and as the Company’s Land Staten Ifland §,
.and the famous land o f Jefo||, were alfo fuppofed to lie
nearly
* From Muller’s account of the courfe fleered by Captain Spanberg, in his route
from Kamtfchatka to Japan, it appears, that he muft alfo undoubtedly have feen
De Gama’s Land, if it really has the extent given it in Mr. d’Anville’s maps.
Walton, who commanded a veflel in the fame expedition, feemS alfo to have looked
in vain for this land on his return from Japan j and three years afterward, on account
of fome doubts that had arifen refpedting Spanberg’s courfe, Beering went direitly in
fearch of it, as low ^ the latitude of 46°.
See Voyages et Decouvertes, &c. p. 210, & feq.
•}■ See Book V I. Chap. i. p. 149.
% This land was feen by the Dutchmen who failed in the Caftricom and Breikes,
and imagined by them to be part of the continent of America. . There now remains
•icarce any doubt of its being the iilands of Ooroop and Nadeegfda. See the Journals
of the Caflricom and Breikes, publifhed by Wetzer.
§ This land was alfo difcovered by the Caflricom ; and, from its fituation, as de-
icribed in the journal of that veflel, it appears to be the iilands of the Three Sifters.
|| The country of Jefo, which has fo long been a ftumbling-block to our modern
geographers, was firfl brought to. the knowledge of Europeans by the Dutch veflels
mentioned in the preceding notes. The name appears, from the earlieil accounts, to
have been well known, both to. the Japanefe and the Kamtfchadales; and ufed by
them, indiicriminately, for all the iilands lying between Kamtfchatka and Japan. It
has fince been applied to a large imaginary ifland, or continent, fuppofed to have been
difcovered by the Caflricom and Breikes ; and it may not, therefore, be improper to
confider the grounds of this miftake, .as far as can be collected from the Journals o f
this expedition. The objedtof the voyage, in which, thofe fhips were engaged, was
to explore the Eaftern fhore of Tartary; but, being feparated by a florm off the
.South Eail point o f Japan, they failed in different tracks along the Eaft fide of that
-ifland ; and, having palled its Northern extremity, proceeded ftngly pn their intended:
expedition.
The Caflricom, commanded by De Vries, fleering Northward, fell in with land
•on the third day, in latitude 420. He failed along the South Eaft coaft about fixty’
leagues in a conjiant fog j and having anchored in various places, held a friendly in-
tercourfe with the inhabitants. Thus far the Journal. Now, as the iilands of
Matimai, Kurtafhir, and Zella-ny appear, from Captain Spanberg’s Difcoveries, to lie
-exactly in this lituation, there can be no doubt of their, being the fame land j and the
circumftance of the fog fufficienlly accounts for the error of De Vries, in imagining
1 them
nearly in the fame direction, together with the group firft JgjPi
mentioned, according to the Ruffian charts, we thought this ' «—
coaft deferved the preference, and accordingly hauled round
to the Weftward, the wind having ihifted, in the afternoon,
to the Northward. During this day we faw large flocks o f
gulls, feveral albatrofles, fulmars, and a number o f fiih,.
which our failors called grampufes ; but, as far as we could
judg e, from the appearance o f thofe that- palled clofe by
the ihips, we imagined them to be the .kafatka, or fword-fi£h,.
defcribed by KrafcheninicofF, to whom I refer the Reader,
for a curious account o f the manner in which they attack
the whales. In the evening, a vifit from a fmall land-bird,
about the fize o f a gold-finch, and refembling that bird in
ihape and plumage, made us keep a good look-out for landi
However, at midnight, on trying for foundings, we found.
no ground with forty-five fathoms o f line..
them to be one continent ; without having reeourie tothe fuppofition'ofanearthquake,-,
by which Mr-Muller, from his deiire to reconcile the opinion generally received, with •
the later Ruflian difcoveries, conceives the feveral parts to have“ been feparated. The-
Jburnal then proceeds to give an account of the difcovery of Staten Ifland and Company’
s Land,. of which I have already given .my opinion, and ihall have occafion to-
fpeak hereafter. Having pafled through the Straits of De Vries,, fays the Journal,
they entered a vail, wild, and tempeftuous fea,..in which they fteered,. through mifts
and darknefs, to the 48° latitude North; after which they were driven by contrary
winds to the Southward, and again fell in withi land to the Weftward, in latitude 450, ..
which they unaccountably ftill imagined to be part .of the continent of Jefo ; whereas,
whoever examines Janfen’s map of their difcoyéries (which appears to be.exceedingly
accurate, as far as his- information went), will, I . believe, have-no doubt, that they
were,, at this-time, on the coaft of Tartary.. Having traced this land four degreesv
to the Northward,, they returned to the Southward through the.Straits they had pafled.
before..
It is-not neceflary to troublé, the Reader with the. Journal ’of the Breikes, .as it.
contains no new matter, and has been already republiihed, and very fatisfadtorily *
animadverted upon by Mr. Muller.
Voyages from Afià to America-, &c. Englifti T ranflation,,- p. 7^ -